This archive report was first published on 11 December 2019.
On Monday, thieves struck Matabithi Police Post in Meru County, stealing three G3 rifles. The incident occurred after police officers on duty were allegedly lured out of the post with alcohol.
According to Tigania East police boss Peter Karanja, the guns were loaded with magazines of 20 rounds ammunition and were recovered in a thicket three kilometres from the station, which borders Isiolo county.
Mr Karanja declined to comment on the circumstances under which the guns were stolen, but a source privy to the investigations said officers at the station were lured with beer.
‘I cannot comment on any arrests since I don’t have that information. What I know is that we recovered the stolen guns, they were hidden in a thicket,’ said Mr Karanja.
One of the officers in charge of the police post was on leave at the time of the theft and was absent. The thieves took advantage of the situation to raid the police post’s armory and steal the guns.
After the theft, the officers suspected a reveler and on probing him, the person led them to a thicket where one gun was recovered. The other two guns were recovered on Wednesday afternoon following a tip off.
The report of the loss was made by one Police Constable Peter Kithure who is said to have been arrested together with a colleague and a local police reservist.
